Beat of the Rain
by DobbyLovesSocks
Summary: "No," she said softly. "I like the rain."


"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."

-Henry David Thoreau

* * *

It was all too much to bear; the stress of homework and exams, normal teenage worries, and most of all, losing Grandmum Weasley. Dominique rolled over in bed, fighting back tears._  
_

_You're thirteen, _she told herself. _You don't cry in bed at night. _But despite her attempts to stay strong, she remembered all too clearly the events from earlier that day.

_"Miss Weasley, the headmaster has requested your presence. You too, Mr. Potter." Dominique and James exchanged a startled glance and stood up from their seats. A few minutes later, they met all of their siblings and cousins sitting in Professor Fermon's office, looking tense._

_"Children-" Victoire made a sound of distaste. "I have been given the task of delivering some exceedingly unfortunate news. Your grandmother, Molly Weasley, has passed away." No one spoke for a moment.  
_

_"When?" James asked after a moment, looking shell shocked.  
_

_"Earlier today. She was alone in the house- Arthur was out- and when he returned, she was gone."  
_

_"What do you mean?" asked Albus sharply. "Was she murdered? Who took her body?"  
_

_"Don't be stupid, Albus," said Rose, swallowing her tears. "She was gone... As in, she had- passed on." She suddenly burst into tears, and Victoire put a comforting arm around her.  
_

_"Shh, it's okay," she murmured. But Dominique saw the tears flooding Victoire's eyes as well.  
_

A loud clap of thunder wrenched Dominique out of her thoughts, and she was slightly surprised to find tears streaking her cheeks. _Oh, screw it, _she thought, climbing out of bed. _Nothing like a midnight stroll when you're having a bad night, _her father had once told her, and she took the words to heart. Grabbing her wand and shoving it into her pocket, Dominique slipped through the Gryffindor portrait hole and walked through the castle._ It's eerie at night, _she thought nervously. A portrait by the kitchens cackled softly, and Dominique jumped. She stumbled through the dark corridor, finally pushing open the heavy brass doors. She slipped along the dewy grass, finally reaching her destination: the greenhouses.

Dominique lay down and stared up at the sky. The rain beat down on her face, but she didn't bother taking out her wand to keep herself dry. In fact, she quite enjoyed the feeling. No, enjoy wasn't the word. Lying here, alone in the dark, caused Dominique to feel more alone than she ever had... yet at the same time, more connected with the rest of the world.

_One, two, three... _She tried in vain to count the falling droplets of water. Each drop is like a person, Dominique thought. Full of secrets and troubles that no one else knows about, so important to you, yet unknown to the rest of the world. But we all fall, and when we do, the ground absorbs us. We become nothing but another insignificant piece in this puzzle of a world; there for a reason, but unnoticed when gone. Turning her head to the side, Dominique caught sight of a small spider scuttling across the grass.

_"_Hey, friend," she whispered. It sounded silly, thinking of a spider as an equal, yet what was the difference, really? Lightning crackled in the sky above, and Dominique shivered. How unimportant she really was, in the scheme of things...

"Dom!" a voice suddenly called out. "Dominique!"

"Vic?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What- how did you find me here?" A ghost of a smile played at Victoire's lips.

"I'm your sister, Dom. Believe it or not, I do know you." Walking forward, Victoire embraced her sister, stroking her strawberry blonde hair. For the first time, Dominique noticed the tears mingling with raindrops on her own face and let out a strangled sob.

"I-it's just so awful," she choked out. "A-and..."

"Shh, don't worry, Dom. We'll get through this." Victoire smiled gently at her younger sister. "But first, we need to get you inside; it's not safe out here in this weather."

"No," she said softly. "I like the rain."

"But-"

"No," she repeated, a bit more forcefully this time. "I'm staying here."

"At least let me use Impervius and keep you dry," Victoire insisted, but Dominique shook her head.

"The feel of the rain... it's what's keeping me sane right now. Don't take that away." Victoire's eyes filled with tears, and she hugged her younger sister tightly.

"I'll see you at breakfast. And Dominique?" Her sister pulled her eyes away from the sky and looked at her. "I love you."

"Love you too, Vic," she murmured. "I'll see you in the morning." As Victoire walked away, Dominique tried to bring her focus back on the sky. The stars twinkled in the sky above, and she found herself getting lost in the immenseness of the universe. She felt that if she were to stand up, she would be whisked off of her feet, never to be found again.

_But really, _Dominique thought, a humorless smile spreading across her face. _What would it matter? How unimportant she really was, in the scheme of things..._

* * *

**Disclaimer- Harry Potter isn't mine.  
**

**This story is dedicated to my friend Maya for a few reasons. She's a great friend, she always stays calm in a whirlwind of craziness, and she gave me the inspiration for the "Hey, friend" in reference to a spider part. (Yes, I blew that whole thing a bit out of proportion, but I still smile when I think of it.) I know I teased you about it, Maya, and you were half joking anyway, but I understood what you were trying to say, and I hope this captured that. :)  
**

**Written for Fire The Canon's November tournament- write about any character during their third year at Hogwarts.  
**


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